Parking meter mechanism



PARKING METER MECHANISM Original Filed May 29, 1962 42 ji'i 3 Q9 9- 29 25 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,204,438 PARKING METER MECHANISM Lester D. Sollenberger, Oak Park, Ill., assignor to Duncan Parking Meter Corporation, a corporation of New York Original application May 29, 1962, Ser. No. 198,567. Divided and this application Feb. 15, 1965, Ser. No.

2 Claims. (Cl. 70-417) This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 198,567 filed May 29, 1962, entitled Parking Meter Mechanism.

This invention relates to coin controlled meters, and in particular, to a mechanism for use with the door selectively closing the coin collecting means of such meters.

In the conventional coin controlled meters, a housing is provided for collecting the coins deposited in the meter. The housing is provided with an access opening selectively closed by a door provided with a lock permitting access to the coins only by authorized personnel having a suitable key for cooperation with the lock. As such a collection of coins offers a serious inducement for vandals and the like to break into the housing, it is highly desirable to provide eifectively foolproof means for locking the door. The ingenuity of vandals in breaking into such doors is very great, all kinds of tools being utilized for this purpose. The present invention is concerned with an improvement in such door locking means suitable for use with a door structure, such as that shown in the Sollenberger et al. Patent No. 3,056,544, issued October 2, 1962, to which reference may be had for a more complete description of the corresponding elements in this application.

Thus, a principal feature of the present invention is the provision of new and improved means for preventing unauthorized access to the coin collecting housing of a coin controlled meter.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of such means including new and improved means for preventing the drilling of the lock normally disposed within the door of the coin collecting housing.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of such means including new and improved means for precluding the tapping of the door bore in which the lock is disposed such as for the installation of a puller device for pulling the door from the housing.

A still further feature of the invention is the provision of such means including means for selectively securing the lock in the door permitting selective removal of the lock when desired, the retaining means being adapted to lock the latch means of the door in the event that the lock is forced rearwardly as by Vandals attempting to break into the housing.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of a coin controlled meter having means embodying the invention for preventing unauthorized access to the coin collecting housing portion thereof;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged rear elevation of the door structure;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary vertical section thereof taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary enlarged horizontal section thereof taken substantially along the line 44 of FIGURE 2.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention as disclosed in the drawing, a coin controlled parking meter generally designated 10 is shown to include a timer-indicator portion 11 having a conventional coin receiving device 12 for receiving coins whereby the mechanism 11 may be suitably manipulated to indicate a preselected time interval. The device 11 is arranged to pass the coins from the device 12 downwardly into a housing 13 wherein the coins are collected for subsequent removal by authorized personnel having a suitable key for cooperation with a lock 14 in a door 15 selectively closing an access opening 16 in the housing 13. As discussed briefly above, the present invention is concerned with the problem of preventing vandalistic deformation of the door locking means intended to obtain unauthorized access to the coins collected in the housing 13.

More specifically, as shown in FIGURE 3, the door 15 is provided with a stepped bore 17 having an outer cylindrical portion 18 and a diametrically enlarged inner cylindrical portion 19 defining therebetween a radial shoulder 20. The outer bore portion 18 opens through substantially planar front surface 21 of the door, and the inner bore portion 19 enters rearwardly through a planar surface 22 on a rearwardly extending annular boss 23 of the door. A conventional lock device 24 is disposed in bore portion 19 and includes a tubular barrel 25 abutting shoulder 20, and a plug portion 26 coaxially within barrel 25 and recessed inwardly to define a cylindrical space 27 between shoulder 20 and the outer end of the plug portion. The lock 24 is arranged for cooperation with a suitable key (not shown) for operation thereof to manipulate a pair of latches 28 movably retained in a mounting bracket structure 29 carried on the rear of the door 15 for selectively locking the door in closed position across opening 16, and permitting the door to be swung from the closed position to an opened position, the door being mounted on a suitable pivoting bracket 30 for such selective positioning.

One method utilized by vandals to break into the housing 13 has been to drill through the lock 24 to permit operation of the latch mechanism without the use of a key. The present invention comprehends the provision of a guard member in space 27 effectively precluding such drilling of the lock. member herein comprises a metal disc 31 rotatably received in space 27 and provided with a central slot 32 through which the key may be passed to enter the lock 24. The disc 31 is retained axially between the shoulder 20 and the plug portion 26 of the lock. Thus, should a vandal attempt to drill into the lock plug portion 26, the drill bit must first engage the guard disc 31. The slot 32 is sufficiently narrow to preclude the passage of the drill bit therethrough, and, thus, the tip portion of the drill bit, rather than passing through the guard disc, engages the disc to cause a rotation thereof with the bit. Thus, asrelative movement between the drill bit and the guard disc cannot be obtained, the drill bit cannot pass through the guard disc, and the vandal is effectively precluded from drilling the lock.

Another method of unauthorized entry utilized by vandals is by tapping the bore portion 18 to permit the threaded attachment thereto of a conventional puller device arranged to engage the housing 13 and by suitable threading operation break the door free of the housing. The present invention comprehends means for precluding this method of unauthorized entry. More specifically, a hardened steel bushing 33 is fixedly secured in the bore portion 18, as best seen in FIGURES 3 and 4. The bushing comprises a tubular element having a straight knurl portion 34 for improved positive secured engagement with the door in bore 18. At its inner end 35, the bushing is preferably outwardly chamfered, and at its outer end 36, the bushing is preferably inwardly chamfered.

More specifically, the guard- As indicated above, the bushing is suitably formed to be sufficiently hard to preclude tapping. Illustratively, the bushing may be formed of cold rolled steel hardened approximately .005 to .010 inch deep by the cyanide ipsen hardening method and may be cadmium plated. Thus, a vandal or the like is precluded from tapping the opening to the lock, and is effectively thwarted in this method of unauthorized entry.

Another method utilized by vandals to break into the coin collecting housing of such meters is to force the lock inwardly so as to permit manipulation of the latch means to release the door. In the above indicated Sollenberger et al. Patent No. 3,056,544, means are provided for automatically locking the latch in the closed position whenever the lock is so rearwardly forced. The present invention comprehends an'ir'nproved latch locking structure arranged for facilitated; selective retention of the lock in the bore portion Hand-rearward removal thereof by authorized personnel when desired. More specifically, the lock is retained against rearward coaxial displacement from the bore portion by a locking member 37 which, as best shown in FIGURE 2, comprises a flat plate having a pair of spaced apposed leg portions 38 and 39 respectively overlying the rearward surface 40 of the lock portion 26. As shown in FIGURE 2, the legs 38 and 39 underlie the latches 28 when the latches are in the released position. However, when the latches are moved outwardly to the lock position, as when the latches are locking the door 15 across opening 16, the confronting inner ends 41 of the latches are spaced laterally of the legs 38 and 39. Thus, should a vandal attempt to force the lock inwardly, the legs 38 and 39 deform rearwardly into the plane of movement of the latches effectively precluding their return to the position of FIGURE 2 and retaining the door locked across opening 16.

As indicated above, the locking member 37 is arranged for facilitated removal of the lock 24 when desired. For this purpose, the plate 37 is slidably received in a channel 42 defined by the mounting bracket structure 29 and extending perpendicular to the axis of the bore 17. The plate 37 includes an outer portion 43 projecting from the channel 42 and having a tool engaging opening 44 normally exposed outwardly of the bracket structure 29 for coaction with a suitable tool for pulling the plate outwardly from the channel when desired. A stop 45 is provided on the plate portion 43- for limiting the inward movement of the plate by engagement with the bracket structure 29, as shown in FIGURE 2.

Thus, the present invention comprehends an improved structural arrangement of the mechanism associated with the door selectively closing the coin collecting housing of a coin controlled meter for improved resistance against unauthorized entry as by vandals and the like. The structures comprehended by the invention are simple and economical While yet effectively positively provide the highly desirable thwarting of the unauthorized entry to the coin collecting housing.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications, Changes, therefore, in the coni struction aand arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a coin compartment of a parking meter, a door opening into said compartment, said door having a bore therethrough with the bore having an outer portion, a cylinder lock having a barrel and a plug mounted on the inner side of said door, said barrel having a diameter greater than the diameter of the outer bore portion with the front edge portion of the barrel of the lock bearing against the area surrounding the inner end of the outer bore portion, said area being defined by the different diameters of said outer bore portion and said barrel, said plug having a keyway to be operated by a key inserted through the outer portion of said outer bore portion, a tubular guard coaxially fixed in and lining the outer bore portion, said tubular guard having a hard metal inner surface for resisting tapping thereof, and a guard member freely rotatably disposed between the plug of said lock and said tubular guard for rotation when engaged by a cutting tool such as a drill bit to prevent passage of the tool therethrough, said guard member having an opening therethrough selectively alignable with said keywayfor the passage of the key into said keyway.

2. In combination with a coin compartment of a parking meter, a housing having said compartment therewithin, said housing being formed of thick rigid material such as cast metal, a door of thick rigid material such as cast metal mounted in said housing giving access to the coin compartment therewithin, said door having a bore therethrough with the bore having an outer portion, a lock secured in said door and having an outer tubular barrel surrounding an inner mechanism arranged to be operated by a key inserted thereinto through said outer bore portion, said mechanism being spaced from the inner end of said outer bore portion to define a cylindrical space therebetween, a guard member freely rotatable within said space and outwardly covering said mechanism, said guard member having an opening therethrough selectively alignable with said lock mechanism for passing the key therethrough into said lock mechanism with said guard member being positioned to engage a cutting tool such as a drill bit to rotate with the tool and thereby prevent passage of the tool therethrough, and a tubular guard coaxially fixed within said outer bore portion, said tubular guard extending from said space to the outer end of the outer bore portion and having an exposed hard metal inner surface portion for precluding tapping thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 16,123 7/25 Schonwald -4l7 1,411,898 4/22 Angenbaum 704l7 1,484,831 2/24 Hurd 704l7 1,548,131 8/25 Freysinger 70417 3,083,563 4/63 Greenwald 70-417 ALBERT H. KAMPE, Primary Examiner, 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A COIN COMPARTRMENT OF A PARKING METER, A DOOR OPENING INTO SAID COMPARTMENT, SAID DOOR HAVINGA BORE THERETHROUGH WITH THE BORE HAVING AN OUTER PORTION, A CYLINDER LOCK HAVING A BARREL AND A PLUG MOUNTED ON THE INNER SIDE OF SAID DOOR, SAID BARREL HAVINGA DIAMETER GREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE OUTER BORE PORTION WITH THE FRONT EDGE PORTION OF THE BARREL OF THE LOCK BEARING AGAINST THE AREA SURROUNDING THE INER END OF THE OUTER BORE PORTION, SAID AREA BEING DEFINED BY THE DIFFERENT DIAMETERS OF SAID OUTER BORE PORTION AND SAID BARREL, SAID PLUG HAVING A KEYWAY TO BE OPERATED BY A KEY INSERTED THROUGH THE OUTER PORTION OF SAID OUTER BORE PORTION, A TUBULAR GUARD COAXIALLY FIXED IN AND LKINING THE OUTER BORE PORTION, SAID TUBULAR GUARD HAVING A HARD METAL INNER SURFACE FOR RESISTING TAPPING THEREOF, THE A GUARD MEMBER FREELY ROTATABLY DISPOSED BETWEEN THE PLUG OF SAID LOCK AND SAID TUBULAR GUARD FOR ROTATION WHEN ENGAGED BY A CUTTING TOOL SUCH AS A DRILL BIT TO PREVENT PASSAGE OF THE TOOL THERETHROUGH, SAID GUARD MEMBER HAVING AN OPENING THERETHROUGH SELECTIVELY ALIGNABLE WITH SAID KEYWAY FOR THE PASSAGE OF THE KEY INTO SAID KEYWAY. 